I think he means that institutions like school, workplace, and society in general, play a big role in how we conceive what women should do, and what men should do. Since those institutions don’t really change their way to process throughout the years, the same dilemma between gender difference happens from generation to generation. Those environments affect in a way how we see women and how we treat them compare to men. For instance, in the text, they give us a clear example of how men easily access promotions in workplaces compared to women, proving that men have many more advantages in workplaces then women only because of their gender. Also, with the episode watched in class, it is possible to make a link with how friendship at school as an influence in the gender difference. As discussed in the episode, it is really bad seen for a man to rub his friend’s shoulder in high school, it is considered as a “gay movement”, and they could be threatened only because of that. However, for a woman to hold her friend in her arms is seen as a normal thing. This shows us how much of gender difference we are unconsciously in and that we don’t realize how big the discrimination between men and women is.

He prefers to use masculinity to the plural because there is a lot of different type of masculinities. Masculinity varies and depends on the sociocultural elements a person grows in. For example, a person that has grown in 1900 won’t have the same perspective of masculinity than a person born in 2000. It’s the same thing from country to country and from culture to culture. Therefore, he wants to include all types of masculinity by saying masculinities instead. By opening up to the mentality that there is more than one type of masculinity could stop a lot of discrimination and could break many rules like the “bro code” as mentioned in the episode. The “bro code” kind of stuck guys in one type of masculinity and avoid them of being their own masculinity/person.

Question 1:

The text masculinity by kimmel talks about how society views both genders, Male and Female. when he mentions “Institutions accomplish the creation of gender order through several gendered processes.” what i think he means by this is that institutions being our families, daycare’s, elementary school all the way to university and work place. These institutions are what teach us from a very young age how women and men are suppose to act. An example is how the social construction of reality is that the color pink is represented for girls and the color blue is represented for boys. It can also be related to the documentary man enough because in the documentary the men all agree that at a young age they are taught how to be a man. They are taught about power dominance and how men must not show emotion instead they must show aggression and violence because that is how men fit in. Therefore it starts at from when we are born and is passed on from father to son generation after generation. Even at a very young age we see it on television, how both genders are treated differently.

Question 2:

Kimmel states “understanding how we do masculinities… opens up the unimaginable possibilities of social change.” He refers to masculinities and not masculinity because there is not one so called definition of masculinity. Masculinity is defined as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men. But kimmel doesn’t use this term because he sees it as a more complex and diverse term. A term that a lot of men can be described as. Example emotional and caring not violent and aggressive. During the documentary a lot of the guys described how they sort of had to put a “fake act on” and not be “Feminine” because they had qualities such as caring and were emotional. But as society grows we start to grow out of the idea of what makes a man a man and we start to accept people for who they are and not who they are supposed to be.

1. When Micheal Kimmel writes “institutions accomplish the creation of gender difference and the reproduction of gender order through several gendered processes” by this i think he means that (schools, workplaces, religion , families) are what defines someones sexual identity. This is similar to the discussion in the fourth episode of “Man enough” that we watched in class where as the group of men spoke about how a man has to be tough, independent, cool, and be a leader in school in the workplace in a family etc. If they do not fit any of these categories they are bullied and abused.
2. When Micheal Kimmel states “Understanding how we do masculinities… opens up the unimaginable possibilities of social change” by using the word “masculinities” and not “masculinity” i think he is trying to say that in every religion/culture there is a different meaning to being a “man”. In the episode “Man enough” the men say that the boys are taught different ways of what it means to portray yourself as a man meaning depending on their religion and how they are raised in their families.

QUESTION 1 

Reading “Masculinity” by Kimmel was like reading informations I unconsciously knew about. Me, myself going to job interviews or socializing with the opposite sex, I tend to act a certain way and maybe sometimes change my look to please them and get accepted. Therefore, when Kimmel said, “Institutions accomplish the creation of gender difference and the reproduction of gender order through several gendered processes”, I think he is saying that institutions, especially any workplaces, shape our characteristics as individuals. As a result, gender differences and gender order are created. Like the paragraph suggested, if you ask a man in a frat party what’s masculinity and if you ask him again in an interview what’s masculinity, he will definitely say a different answer. Putting this into relation with the episode 4 of “Man Enough”, they themselves admitted that society/institutions shape their view and character as a man. They’ve all hidden their emotions, forced to put on a masked, not break the bro code, and “removed” their feminine side. Even Lewis Howes, when he was a football player, he was seen doing “gay” things like hugging guys. Hugging guys now was something that he needed to stop doing to be accepted in the institution of football he said. Therefore, with what he had said, we can see how football shaped his character. 

QUESTION 2

Kimmel uses masculinities rather than masculinity because there is no one definition. It is a subjective perspective. Therefore, what an Asian man think is masculine versus what a Canadian man think is masculine is totally different because their culture, experiences, feelings, values, etc are what defines their masculinity. That is why it is more accurate to say masculinities. Moreover, having the knowledge of how institutions form how we interpret masculinities will enable our society to reduce inequality and order. Like the text wrote, most career pathways are designed for men. So, relating this to the film, the actors said that if they knew better for example, breaking the bro code doesn’t disqualify you a man, maybe some assaults they have seen or abuse might have been stopped. Therefore, if all these informal social norms given to men and women are gone and if institutions were equal, maybe our society’s way of thinking and living will change for the better ❤

As stated on page five of Defining Men’s Studies, achievement and status is defined as “successful men who have achieved success through the fields of work, sports, and sexual conquest.” The one man who is the most obvious in accomplishing this definition is Hugh Hefner.

Hugh Hefner in the filed of sports has successfully published many articles where women posed for athletes. You may of seen Hugh on television for being admired for his success and for his sexy conquests. He was the founder and co-editor of the playboy magazine. He was also known for his playboy mansion where he has invited several celebrities and wealthy people to party and enjoy women. At his death it was publicly understood that he was worth around $50 million. Later, the market research firm Wealth-X released that Hugh Hefner was worth at least $110 million, with roughly $45 million in liquid assets. many men looked up to Hugh. Hugh was seen as The Man. Based on the definition of someone who has status and achievement,

Hugh Hefner’s accomplishments would suggest that he has achieved this. Some examples of his success that categorizes him as a man with status and achievement are is work, making him millions and being praised with sexy women. He was very much involved in the celebrity and athletic community and will never be forgotten.

By: Daniel Bohbot & Alexandra Morgan Arseneau

In the definition of Kilmartin, the best explanation for men is that they have very strong independence, do not need anyone to rely on, have a strong will and strong ability, and rarely socialize and get help from others. This is a man’s unique personality. He is temperamental, indifferent but not ruthless, always thinking to solve all problems himself, and strongly suppresses his emotions, not extroverted. Is a strong, reliable man.

In contrast, the character I can find with the above personality and temperament is from the main character “Master Sergeant John” in the series of novels and the game “Halo”. John is a powerful soldier and warrior. He has never taken off his helmet in the film and television and game series, revealing his true colors. He is cold-blooded, obedient and powerful. Visually, he is a muscle. Macho, has a strong independence in combat, but at the same time he is not good at expressing his emotions, almost rarely actively communicate with others, he does not rely on anyone, never acts with the team, has always been a single person Solitary, almost no social circle.

Therefore, this name comes from the role of Halo: Master Sergeant John is in line with Brannon ’s Themes of Contemporary Western Masculinity when it comes to inexpression and independence.

According to Kilmartin’s study of masculinity, one of the many characteristics that defines what a man should be is independence and inexpression. In the paragraph Kilmartin describes what a man, who is inexpressive and independant, might look like and there are a few key aspects that stand out, such as self-control, solving problems independently, never show any signs of weakness or emotions, being strong both physically and in character, which means to have a strong personality, and finally to never socialize too much with others.

In my opinion, a perfect example that embodies those characteristics is the well-known fictional character named James Bond, also known as Agent 007, who is a British Secret Service Agent and appears in a series of movies that have also been adapted into comics, animated series, video games, etc.

To begin with, just by the looks, he seems as a very intimidating and charismatic character. In series of movies, he conducts his missions solo and never seems interested at getting help from anyone else, which proves the aspect of solving problems independently. He often makes use of violence as if to prove his superiority in physical strength. In some scenes, there might even be people being tortured by the “bad guys” but we see no signs of empathy or towards whatsoever on his face, or he often engages in briefs relationships with women and he is shown to play with the woman’s feelings by having “one night stands” with her and then move on to his missions the next morning. He never really have other social intercourses other than with those women or when his missions requires him to do so.

For all those different reasons, James Bond conforms Brannon’s Themes of Contemporary Western Masculinity when it comes to inexpression and independence.

Shekinah. B

The man who inspires me the most and always has is Justin Bieber. He as an individual has grown so much since when he was younger. He has found peace and comfort in the life he is living and has surrounded himself with the people he loves and with positive vibes, for the most part. He is a big inspiration to me because I would love to follow what he did to get to where he is today. Although he is struggling with mental disorders or an illness he is still staying positive and finding light in not so bright situations. It is very motivating for me and I strive to be as motivated as he is. This one individual has inspired so many people, both boys and girls to become a better version of themselves and to love and accept not only themselves but those around them as well.

Everyone has their own idea of “inspirational.” What may motivate one person may not do the same to the other. But I guess you could say that to be inspirational you must have made a impact or a difference in someone or many people’s lives.

Independence and inexpressiveness are two things that a lot of men are raised and encouraged to act upon in the modern world, and it is seen as something that makes someone a man. Even though it is not necessarily something that makes someone a man, we see it in a lot of public figures nowadays.

When I first chose David Beckham, I thought he was dependent on himself only, but as I was researching for information about him and looking through his speeches he has given, I found out that Beckham was also very dependent on his family and the people surrounding him to get him where he is now. I was surprised when I saw this, but I guess that proves the point that masculinity isn’t necessarily being dependent on one’s self, but it is also about the people surrounding you. I also found out that Beckham is very expressive of his emotions and about all the support he has gotten. He says this in one of his interviews at Goldman Sachs where he says “I think it’s a combination of many things. The biggest thing is the support that I had from my parents…” when he was asked on the reason why he made it as a legendary athlete.

To conclude, I would like to say that I think that Beckham and many other people around the world have proven that masculinity isn’t dependent on being inexpressive and independent. Beckham is a very successful athlete and I think he is a great counter example for this thought that to be a man, you can’t express yourself and depend on others.

Rupaul Andre Charles or just Rupaul as many know him by today was the only boy of 4. At a young age he started trying on his sisters clothes and pretended he was Diana Ross and Jane Fonda. Later on in life he decided to do his first drag ( its when gay men dresses up in women clothing to do shows.) in the 1980’s. When he did his first performance that’s when he fell in love. He later on was named the Queen of New York. He then came out with with a show called Rupaul Drag Race and its still on television today with a new season now being aired. He also made history by being the first drag to be on SNL. He’s the opposite of aggressiveness because he has such a huge personality it’s crazy. Ru is very sassy and he loves to read other people which is rude and funny at the same time. He’s not acting like female, he’s just very free going, expressive, very open with his feelings, not judgmental, do not care about what other thinks of him. Charles’s an example to other men not just gay that’s its okay to have feelings and be sensitive.

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